Excursion Instant Darkroom Tent

3, a solo lightweight, 2p normal and I just got a new - Coleman "Instant Up Darkroom Technology 10 Person Tent", which is a game changer!

My setup is a 10'x20' Costco carport with a Coleman 10 person pop-up tent inside one half (with mesh windows zipped), and the other half of the carport has a rug/carpet floor with a table, a couple chairs for a simple living room of sorts. All under $500.

We use a 10 person Coleman instant tent It is easy to set up and break down, it does have two separate entrances, you can put a rainfly on it but any tent is as waterproof as you make it.

Go for a blackout tent if possible. This was my upgrade last year and it worked great. This is 10-person, but definitely not comfortable for 10, and is better suited for 6. [Coleman 10-Person Blackout Tent](https://www.coleman.com/camp-sports/tents-by-size/10-person-dark-room-instant-cabin-tent-with-rainfly/SP_270937.html) I cannot stress enough that blackout makes a huge difference. You'll get an extra hour or more of sleep each day.

I recently bought a Coleman 10 person dark tent I recommend it for families who are car camping like you describe. Lets the kids sleep in more. I have pics of it in my profile in one of my posts. For my kids I just use a reflective heat pad thing under their sleeping bag and then bring a lot of extra blankets in case people get cold. Bring fun little dollar store activities like glow bracelets or those little whistling slingshot helicopter things you shoot in the air. Main issue will be if the 2 year old requires a lot of attention at night. Some are good sleepers and some wake up screaming. I’ve gone through both situations and when it goes bad it can be very tiring but you know what your kids can handle. Not sure what else to say but I’ve taken my young kids camping every year multiple times for many years so if you have specific questions I can try to answer. I think it’s super good for them to do it even when it’s hard for the parents. Edit: white noise app on a phone hooked up to a battery overnight can help a lot with the quiet/random loud sounds at campgrounds. I recommend that too.